Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Blue-eyed uintjie

(Moraea aristata)

galery
en

Description

Moraea aristata is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae.It is referred to by the common names blue-eyed uintjie or Blouooguintjie in Afrikaans and is a critically endangered species of plant in the genus Moraea, that is endemic to the city of Cape Town and is now restricted to the grounds of the Observatory in the Cape Town suburb of Observatory. Moraea aristata is a winter-flowering bulb (geophyte) that produces large and striking flowers. The petals are white, but each has a large spot of iridescent blue at its base. This plant naturally only occurs in Peninsula Shale Renosterveld vegetation in northern Cape Town. Due to the growth of the city, its habitat now mostly lies under urban sprawl. Consequently, it is critically endangered and naturally survives only in the grounds of the South African Astronomical Observatory in the suburb of Observatory near the foot of Devil's Peak. This tiny, isolated population is too small to be sustainable in the long term. In the wild, its natural pollinators are the Monkey beetles but these are also on the decline in the city of Cape Town. In spite of its extraordinary rarity in the wild, it is easy to cultivate in sunny gardens with sandy or clay soils. Moraea, the Cape tulips, is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1758. The group is widespread across Africa, the Mediterranean, and central and southwestern Asia. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert More. Moraeas have iris-like flowers.The corms of some species have been used as food, however they are usually small and some species are unpleasant, and some are poisonous.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Liliopsida
Order:Asparagales
Family:Iridaceae
Genus:Moraea
News coming your way
The biggest news about our planet delivered to you each day